SALMAGUNDI—No. VI. 
Sheep—Items of Summer Management. 
Messrs. Editors —It is unfortunately the fact that too 
many farmers suppose sheep require but little attention 
during the season of pasturage, and can secure an ade¬ 
quate supply of flesh to carry them through the winter, 
if left to “ shirk” for themselves. This is a very great 
error; and the baneful consequences of such a course are 
very obvious, in thousands of instances, in the months of 
March and April, in the numerous premature deaths that 
follow. It is an axiom “ that stock well summered are 
half wintered,” which every thrifty farmer will hold in 
recollection and practice upon; and it is especially appli¬ 
cable to all who have large flocks to manage, yet not 
much less so, to others. Sheep, with the exception of 
the English varieties, which are great devourers, do not 
require what is usually understood as a luxuriant pasture, 
but short, yet at the same time an abundance, growing on 
dry, elevated lands, rather than bottoms; the latter, where 
sheep range upon them wholly, originating, very often, 
foot rot, as well as other diseases. This is generally 
well understood, and therefore requiring no particular 
authorities to prove its truth. 
But having an abundance to eat, is not the only point 
necessary to secure health and flesh; it is changing the 
flock often from, one field to another. To every intelligent, 
observing farmer, the fact is well known that no domes¬ 
tic animal is possessed of olfactory organs more keen and 
sensitive than the sheep; and consequently, if a flock is 
kept too long upon a field—and it matters not how good 
the pasture may be, it becomes tainted, is rejected, and 
the sheep fails rather than thrives. Whenever the flock 
is seen in a restless state, nosing here and there, without 
eating, then, rest assured, it is high time they were re¬ 
moved, even if the pasture where changed to should be 
shorter or less abundant. I can assure all, that I practice 
most rigidly what is here preached. Early in the spring, 
after ceasing wholly to fodder, I rarely suffer a flock to 
remain on a field beyond two or three days, and the ba¬ 
lance of the season, change as often as once in five or 
seven days, depending, of course, upon the supply of 
grass which each field may afford; but never deferring it 
longer than a week under any circumstances. 
It must be obvious, in order to carry out this policy, 
that the fields of a sheep grazing farm should be small; 
and the flocks likewise. My fields vary in size from 8 
to 15 acres; and I never permit over 100 sheep to herd 
together, at any season, at least, not after one year old. 
From long experience and close observation, I am so 
well satisfied that small fields and frequent change of 
pasture, is the true policy, I am willing to make a pledge, 
that 125 sheep can be kept in better health and condition 
by its adoption, than 100 can in disregard of it, on the 
same number of acres; and I doubt not very many of your 
readers will concur in this statement. 
I have not, until of late, been of the opinion that the 
cultivated grasses were best relished by sheep; but last 
season I was resolved to test the matter, and the result 
induced me to think differently from what I had previ¬ 
ously supposed. One of the fields upon which a flock 
was placed had never been plowed; being hill-sides bor¬ 
dering a brook, on which grew June grass, natural to our 
soil; the other adjoining field was seeded two years be¬ 
fore wholly with timothy, being rather too low for clo¬ 
ver. The bars communicating between these fields were 
left out for the sheep to change themselves; but I soon 
found it was “ no go;” they were determined to stick to 
the timothy as long as there was stock or root left; and 
in the meantime, the natural grass in the other field grew 
unmolested. After this, I tested it with another flock, on 
another part of the farm, and a like result followed. 
Having established so important a fact, I mixed this sea¬ 
son, an equal quantity of timothy and clover for seeding; 
heretofore using a proportion of one-third timothy—un¬ 
less in occasional instances when it was wholly used, 
from the soil being too wet for clover, where it is soon 
thrown out by frost, especially if it is tenacious or clayey. 
It is perhaps not generally known that no domestic 
animals seek for so great a variety of food, as sheep. 
They will occasionally eat of every plant and noxious 
weed that grows upon the soil where they range, and es¬ 
pecially aromatics. This fondness for variety, the prac¬ 
tical sheep master has often seen manifested, in the avidity 
with which his flock will devour the leaves of the milk 
weed, and even burdock, indeed of almost every thing, 
if cured with the hay. There is true philosophy in this, 
for the acrid and bitter properties of these and other 
plants of like nature, aid wonderfully the digestion of 
other food. “Instinct is a great matter,” said old Jack 
FalstafF. True as the needle to the poles, it points un¬ 
erringly the way for the individual welfare of the whole 
brute creation. How important, then, is it, with a view 
to perfect management, that the shepherd should ascer¬ 
tain the likes and dislikes of the interesting animal for 
which he has to provide ! 
The philosophy of salting sheep frequently, during the 
season of pasturage, is no longer questioned; yet it is 
shamefully neglected. The change from dry food to 
grass should not be sudden; but notwithstanding this care, 
more or less will scour, if salted too much, immediately 
after dry fodder is wholly disused. For several weeks 
thereafter, less than two quarts to the hundred is better 
than a larger quantity; after which, about four quarts is 
the amount I give, and that, on the average of the sea¬ 
son, once in about five days. The above caution of 
salting in small quantities should be rigidly observed with 
yearlings, until after shearing. Salt is a material aid to 
the digestive organs, and it is a pretty well ascertained 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
fact, also, one of the preventions of disease with nearly 
all domestic animals; and if given in judicious quanti¬ 
ties, will induce greater thrift and condition. Hear what 
Youatt, the distinguished sheep historian, says: “ Pass¬ 
ing by the beautiful country of Montpelier, (France,) and 
the mouths of the Rhone, the traveler can study the fine 
sheep and the sheep husbandry of Arles. The district 
of the Cran, in length nearly eighteen miles, and about 
half as much in breadth, extends from the mountains 
towards the sea coast. It is one uniform gentle declivity; 
in no part of it is there the slightest portion of stagnant 
water, and not a tree or bush is to be seen. The soil is 
consequently dry, and apparently barren enough; but the 
herbage which it affords, is that which peculiarly suits 
the sheep, and the cocks-foot grass, and the clover, (Tri¬ 
folium pratense,) and the common thyme, and the wild 
thyme, and the lavender, (Lavandula spica,) grow amid 
the flints, affording a pasture nutritive, without one dan¬ 
gerous aqueous property, and of a luxuriance that would 
scarcely be deemed possible. No less than 130,000 sheep 
grazed on this declivity. A writer in the Memoirs of 
the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, attributes the 
thriving of the sheep on such a spot, to the free use of 
salt , thereby enabling the digestive organs to extract every 
particle of nutriment ichich the food contains .” He says, “ on 
this spot, so seemingly sterile, by the free use of salt, 
more numerous flocks are bred and reared than upon any 
other common of equal extent throughout the whole 
kingdom; and what is not less remarkable, the sheep 
are healthier, hardier, and endure the severity of the winter 
with less loss, though they have fewer sheep-cots for co¬ 
vering, than those fed and bred on more copious pas¬ 
tures, and that have, besides, the advantage of more con¬ 
venient shelter.” Other authority on this subject could 
be cited, but the above is deemed quite conclusive. 
I had almost forgotten to notice a practice with thou¬ 
sands of farmers—and a lazy one it is too—when remov¬ 
ing a flock of sheep, of letting down only the ends of the 
bars, instead of taking two or three of the lowest entirely 
out. All know who have witnessed it, the rush that is 
made at such times, and consequently, feeble sheep are 
often thrown down, run over, and if heavy with lamb, 
injury must follow. But this is not all; the great danger 
is of getting their feet fast between the bars, and thereby 
legs are liable to be broken or severely injured. If you 
are in a hurry, you will save time by adopting what is 
recommended. 
Mammoth Hog !—I am quite as much opposed as any 
of your readers, to accounts of big calves, hogs, and 
what not, unaccompanied with statements, how they were 
made such. His distinguished swineship whose dimen¬ 
sions, weight, &c. I am about to render, was slaughtered 
some five weeks since, distant about two miles from my 
residence. The scene was witnessed by an hundred or 
more of my neighbors, and I would have been present 
myself, had I not forgotten the day fixed for the termi¬ 
nation of his lordship’s existence. Like some of the 
counterfeit aristocracy of our country, his pedigree is 
remarkably short, viz: sire, full-blood Yorkshire; dam, 
full-blood Land-pike. His proportions were as follows: 
live weight, 1,108 lbs.; dressed do. 1,040 lbs.; length, 
7 feet 8 inches; height, 3 feet 9 inches; girth, 7 feet 
5 inches; age, 2 years, 11 months and 4 days. Nothing 
was done behind the curtain; but weight and measure¬ 
ment were witnessed by all present, and the above state¬ 
ment was rendered by the “ marshal of the day.” The 
little difference between the live and dressed weight, 
will, I think, surprise all. He was kept as a boar until 
two years of age, and put up for fattening in September 
last. The average consumption of food was 14 lbs. of 
corn meal, with occasionally a few cooked potatoes, per 
day. The owner and fattener's name is Mr. Wilson 
Merritt, of the adjoining town of Genoa, and county of 
Cayuga. Can Mr. Bement, or Doct. Martin, beat the 
above? Nous Verrons. 
Agricultural Census. —I had prepared a table em¬ 
bracing the statistics of wheat, sheep, and wool, copied 
from the late agricultural census report; but I perceive 
from the Cultivator, (just received,) that I have been 
anticipated, by yourselves, in publishing the whole. I 
am right glad you have done so, for it is a document of 
the highest value to the statesman as well as agricultu¬ 
rist. Your comments appended, are of the genuine 
“ American stamp,” and will, we think, be responded to 
most cordially, by every true lover of his country. For 
my own part, I love to dwell on agricultural statistics. 
They constitute a sure index of a nation’s prosperity, or 
otherwise, its glory or shame. Who can calculate, now, 
the vast aggregate product of labor of our beloved coun¬ 
try, fifty or an hundred years hence? None. All, though, 
can respond, mighty and wonderful will be the amount! 
A word more. It will be seen, on reference to the ta¬ 
ble, with surprise to many, that sisters Ohio and Penn¬ 
sylvania—(and “ Old Yirginny” ain't sloiu) —are ahead 
of the Empire state in the amount of wheat; but if either 
the crops of ’40 or ’41, had been taken, we would, be¬ 
yond question, have taken the prize, as all recollect the 
universal failure of our crop in ’39, as reported in the 
statistical table. There are unaccountable errors in the 
wool statistics, averaging, it will be observed, less than 
one pound and three-quarters to each sheep; whereas, 
the true average, all will concede, cannot possibly be 
less than 2| lbs., and is not unfrequently estimated as 
high as 3 lbs. The errors must have originated, in ma¬ 
ny cases, from official misduty, and again, rendering to 
the officers, often perhaps, only the amount sold, neglect¬ 
ing to include the quantity reserved for family use. 
Wool, and Better Times.—T he following appeared 
in my N. York paper, reecived to-day. “ Altogether, 
99 
there is much cheerfulness and hope among moneyed men, 
and better times are looked for as immediately at hand.” 
“Boys, do you hear that?” Better times, eh? Well, 
we want them amazingly in these “ diggings ;” therefore 
let ’em slide, the sooner the better. A word about 
wool. The prices the article has borne for the last six 
months, or more, will be no criterion for the present 
clip. The weight which has depressed it is about to be 
lifted at Washington; therefore let every wool grower 
think tivice before he sells once. All may hope to get cost, 
at least, which few of the fine wool growers have re¬ 
ceived for several years past. L. A. Morrell. 
Messrs. Editors —It often happens that valuable 
cows acquire the habit of sucking themselves. They thus 
rob their owners of their milk, thereby lessening mate¬ 
rially their value. The question then presents itself, 
“ What can be done to prevent them ?” The farmers in 
and about this neighborhood, construct a collar, (I use 
the term for want of abetter one,) that has proved most 
effectual. I send an illustration (fig. 62,) with an expla¬ 
nation, because I think it will be better understood than 
I could otherwise make it. 
A and B, in the cut, represent two ox-bows, of a size 
suitable for the animal for which it is intended. The 
bow marked B, should be a little the largest, correspond¬ 
ing with the size of the neck at the shoulders. C and 
D, represent the yoke or neck piece. It is formed of two 
pieces of wood of a size say \\ by 2J inches, and framed 
together by means of a cross piece, which gives it the 
appearance of the letter H. In this yoke are bored four 
holes of the size of the bows, and at such distance apart 
as would best receive them. Across the bows, midway 
from the bottom to the neck piece, are riveted two pieces 
of iron marked E and F. These pieces have a spiral 
termination. They should be bent out somewhat, lest 
they unnecessarily pierce the sides of the animal. 
Query —How can a queen bee be distinguished, and 
by what process can she be taken from her colony ? 
Berlin, Conn., March 18, 1842. R. North, Jun. 
ORIGIN OF THE MORGAN HORSE 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —Mr. Edward Terry, of 
Rochester, Vt., recently sent me two numbers of your 
Cultivator, containing some account of the origin of the 
Morgan breed of horses, and also an affidavit of John 
Stearns, of St. Johnsbury, Vt., relative to the same sub¬ 
ject. I have read the affidavit of said Stearns attentively, 
and know that he is entirely mistaken in all his state¬ 
ments relative to the time said horse was brought into 
Vermont, the place from which he was brought, and the 
manner in which he says his uncle John Goss, obtained 
said horse of my father. I know very well that Mr. 
John Goss never obtained said horse of my father in any 
way whatever. My father owned said horse to the day 
of his death, and in the settlement of my father’s estate, 
said horse passed into the hands of William Rice, then 
living in Woodstock, Vt., since deceased. 
I will now relate the facts relative to said Morgan 
horse, as I recollect them. My father, Justin Morgan, 
brought said horse, or rather said colt, into Randolph, 
Vt., in the summer or autumn of 1795. Said colt was 
only two years old when my father brought him to Ran¬ 
dolph, and had never been handled in any way, not even 
to be led by a halter. My father went to Springfield, 
Mass., the place of his nativity, and the place from which 
he removed to Randolph, in the spring or summer of 
1795, after money that was due to him at that place, as 
he said ; and instead of getting money as he expected, he 
got two colts, one a three years old gelding colt, which 
he led, the other, a two years old stud colt, which fol¬ 
lowed all the way from Springfield to Randolph ; having 
been, as my father said, always kept with, and much at¬ 
tached to the colt he led. Said two years old colt was the 
same that has since been known all over New England, 
by the name of the Morgan horse. My father broke 
said colt himself; and as I have before-remarked, owned 
and kept him to the time of his decease, which took 
place in March, 1798, and said horse was five years old 
the spring my father died; and as before stated, soon af¬ 
ter my father’s decease, he passed from my father’s es¬ 
tate into the possession of Wm. Rice, of Woodstock, Vt. 
I cannot state positively that my father purchased said 
colt in Springfield, Mass., but I am very confident tba 1 
he purchased him in that town or in the immediate vi¬ 
cinity on Connecticut river, and I know that my falhei 
always, while he lived, called him a Dutch horse. 
Stockbridge, Vt., March 1, 1842, Justin Morgan. 
